Ministry of Land Says "Possibility of Fraudulent Application" in Lee Hyehoon's Eldest Son Sham Unmarried Case

Lee Hyehoon, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, is greeting at the Personnel Hearing of the Finance and Economy Planning Committee held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. 2026.1.23 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has responded that there is a possibility of fraudulent subscription in connection with allegations that Lee Hyehoon, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, delayed registering the marriage of her eldest son, who is married, in order to increase their apartment subscription points.

Jung Suho, Director of the Housing Fund Division at the Ministry of Land, appeared as a witness at the Personnel Hearing of the National Assembly's Finance and Economy Committee on this day and stated, "If the allegations raised by the National Assembly or the media are true, there is indeed a possibility of fraudulent subscription."

Lee has faced allegations of fraudulent subscription after she was selected for an apartment at Raemian One Pentas in Banpo-dong, Seoul, by increasing the number of dependents through falsely listing her married eldest son as unmarried. At the hearing, Lee explained that her son had lived with her at the beginning of his marriage because his relationship had broken down early on.

When asked whether it is permissible to include a child in a sham unmarried status as a dependent for subscription purposes, Director Jung replied, "It is not allowed," and added, "According to regulations, even if the child is divorced, they cannot be included as a dependent."

He further acknowledged, "It is generally difficult to detect a sham unmarried status based on documents alone," but also stated, "If someone hides a de facto marriage by holding a wedding but not having a newlywed home, and registers as a dependent, that constitutes fraudulent subscription."

In response to a question about whether a child whose marriage has broken down can be included as a dependent, he explained, "Under the regulations, a divorced child cannot be included as a dependent," and added, "In cases where a de facto marriage has broken down, it could similarly be interpreted as such."

However, Director Jung clarified, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is not an investigative agency and does not have the authority to conduct investigations directly," and said, "If the allegations are true, only after evidence is confirmed through a police investigation can it be determined whether fraudulent subscription occurred."

When asked whether the ministry would have responded so passively if Lee were not a ministerial nominee, he explained, "The case has already been reported to the police, so we did not make a separate request," and added, "If it were a matter unknown to the police, we would have referred it."